Places like Athol and Orange probably do not ike being referred to as "one-horse towns," but when that horse is a Clydesdale, it might be a different story.

This week, the famous Budweiser horses will be making several stops in the area, both in the form of one-horse shows and full-hitch, eight-horse events.

The iconic horses are being brought here courtesy of Girardi Distributors, who are celebrating 75 years of distributing Budweiser products.

"We had them here about two years ago and it was really a big hit," said Jason M. McAllister, a a manager with Girardi Distributors. "We wanted to tie it in with our anniversary of being a Budweiser wholesaler."

McAllister also noted that it is the 50th year of the River Rat Race, which runs from Athol to Orange. The hitch will be at the pre-race parade from 9-11:30 a.m. on April 12.

"It's a great local event and we thought we'd bring the Clydesdales here to the community for the parade."

The Clydesdales will be in Athol on April 9-13, with visits to Leominster, Gardner and Fitchburg on various days. The hitch team and red wagon will appear at multiple community events, where consumers can interact with the hitch team. A schedule is below.

Burt Westbrook, one the Clydesdales handlers, said he thinks the horses are popular for different reasons, depending on a person's age.

"Young people have never really seen them, and the older people remember having these horses on their farms or their parent's farms," he said. "For them it's very nostalgic."

Westbrook said the one-horse shows allow people to pet and be photographed with the horses. But feeding them is not allowed.

"They're on very specific diets and we don't let anybody feed them," he said. "They're never fed by hand so they're not looking for it like other horses do. Everything they eat comes out of their feed tub."

And they eat a lot. Each horse will consume as much as 20 to 25 quarts of whole grains, minerals and vitamins, 50 to 60 pounds of hay, and 30 gallons of water per day. This is understandable: Clydesdales average about 18 hands (six feet) in height and weigh around about a ton. This means getting them ready for an event is a lengthy process.

"It takes five hours to get ready for each show, from the time we start cleaning the horses until they're hitched up," Westbrook said.

On Thursday night, the hitch and wagon will be doing the ceremonial beer deliveries to various pubs and restaurants.

"It's a great photo up and was popular last time we did it," McAllister said.

Schedule:

April 9: One horse shows at 30 Pleasant Street, Leominster and 12 Pearson Boulevard, Gardner between noon and 2 p.m.

April 10: Downtown parade through Athol, 4:30-6 p.m.

April 11: One horse shows at 220 Whalon Street, Fitchburg and 1033 Central Street, Leominster, noon-2 p.m. One horse show at Athol Town Hall, 6-7 p.m.

April 12: Full hitch at Athol/Orange River Rat Parade 9-11:30 a.m.

April 13: One horse show at 1586 South Main St. in Athol.

There will also be stable viewings at Girardi Distributors, 5 Railroad Place in Athol from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 9, 10, 11, and 13.